Garden shredder with variable position loading chute

ABSTRACT

A loading chute for shredders of the type used to shred lawn materials. A loading hopper is arranged with the inlet opening of the shredder for movement between an upright position and a lower position wherein material to be shredded can be swept up the chute and into the shredder. A damper is arranged with the chute to act as a guard.

United States Patent 1191 Lautzenheiser 1 Feb. 13, 1973 GARDEN SHREDDERWITH VARIABLE Primary ExaminerWillie G. Abercrombie POSITION LOADINGCHUTE Attorney-Robert C. Brown, Jr et al.

[75] Inventor: Robert D. Lautzenheiser, Bluffton,

Ind. v ABSTRACT [73 Assignee: The Red Cross Manufacturing Corp. Aloading chute for shredders of the type used to shred lawn materials. Aloading hopper is arranged l l Fllcdi 7, 1972 with the inlet opening ofthe shredder for movement [21] App]. No.: 242,043 between an uprightposition and a lower position 52] us. c1 ..56/501, 241/186 R whereinmaterial to be Shredded can be swept up the 56/12 8,24]/l017 chute andinto the shredder. A damper is arranged 51 1 1111. C1. ..B26d 4/28, B02018/00 the chute act as a guard- [58] Field of Search ..l46/l24, 192,107; 24l/l86; I I 56/501, DIG. 8, l2.8 [56] References Cited 7 Claims 6Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1968 Johnson ..l46/l92PATENTEDFEB13 1975 3,716,090

SHEET 2 OF 4 PATENTEUFEB13 I973 SHEET Q 0F 4 t: t i m V GARDEN SHREDDERWITI-I VARIABLE POSITION LOADING CIIUTE The present invention isdirected to shredding machines ofthe type used to shred leaves, pruningsand the like, and is particularly directed to loading facilities forshredders. The major purposes of the present invention are to createloading facilities which may be selectively utilized as a feed hopperover an-inlet opening to a shredder or as an inclined feed ramp leadingfrom the ground into the inlet opening of the shredder, to providesimple and positive means to couple such a ramp to a shredder, toprovide simple means for deterring accidental placement of a personshand or foot within the inlet opening of the shredder, to provide aguard to restrict blowback of material toward the user, to arrange sucha hopper that an operator can easily utilize the end of the chute remotefrom the shredder for lifting the shredder for transport in wheelbarrowfashion- FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the shredder illustratedin FIG. 1 while illustrating a different operative position;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of loading chute facilities utilized with theshredder of FlGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the invention while illustrating abagging attachment utilized with the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a hopper mounting housing coupled to theshredder.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawings. 7

With specific reference now to the drawings,'and in the first instanceto FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates a shredding compartment which isground supported by a pair of spaced wheels 11 at the forward end of thecompartment. A stand 12 is fixed to the lower rear end of the shreddingcompartment to allow the shredder to rest at a selected position on theground. A motor 13 is supported on the upper wall of the compartment andlower height at the rear. The upper edges of the side walls 16 and 17may be rolled as at 19.and 20.

These rolled portions carry spaced handles 21 and 22 which are fixedtherein as by bolts and extend outwardly therefrom.

The forward end of the loading hopper is connected to a hinge plateassembly, which consists of spaced plates 23 and 24 which are spanned bya rod 25. The hinge plate assembly is fixed to the forward end of theloading hopper as by means of bolts and nuts 26 and 27. Plates 23 and 24fit within the U shape defined at the forward end of the loading hopper.

The side plates 23 and 24 of the hinge plate assembly are adapted toembrace the sides of an inlet housing 28. Inlet housing 28 is formedwith a curvilinear upper wall 29 and side walls 30 and 31. The rear andbottom of the housing are open so as to receive material from the hopperand direct it to the inlet opening 14a.

The hinge plate assembly and the hopper fixed thereto are pivotallyconnected to the inlet housing 28 as by means of pivot bolts 32. A nut33 with an enlarged handle thereon is threadedly engaged with one end ofthe rod and, upon tightening of the same, will cause contracting of theplates 23 and 24 against the side walls and 31 and frictionally lock theload hopper and hinge assembly in a selected position of pivotaladjustment relative to the inlet housing 28.

Inlet housing 28 is fixed over the inlet 14a to the shredder. A channel28a is fixed to the front wall and embraces a flange 28b of the shreddertop wall at the forward side of the inlet opening. The rear of thehousing is bolted as at 280 to the inclined feed plate 28d in the inlet.

A damper assembly generally designated at 34 is defined by a first plate35 carrying a hinge pin 36 which in turn carries a plurality of plates37,38 and 39 which are positioned side by side and adapted for swingingmovementabout the axis of the hinge pin 36. The combined width of the,plates 37, 38 and 39 is slightly less I than the span between the sidewalls 16 and 17 of the has its drive shaft generally vertically disposedso as to drive shredding knives 13a-(FIG. 6) within compartment 10. Anoutlet passage 14 is formed at the rear of the compartmentand-isadjacent to an inlet or feed passage 14a. Shredders'of this typeare described in my US. Pat/No. 3,593,930. The shredding housing or'when viewed in plan. Side walls 16 and 17 have a major height at theforward end of the hopper and taper to a hopper and their length isgreater than the depth of the hopper. Plate 35 is swingably mounted onthe hinge plate assembly by means of a cylindrical portion 40 of a plate41 to which plate 35 is fixed. Portion 40 receives the bolt 25 wherebythe damper assembly is pivotally mounted on the hinge plate assembly.The plate 41 ex-' tends upwardly with respect to the plate 35 to definea manipulating portion. I The damper assembly thus defined may be swungto a'position (FIGS. 1 and 6) wherein the plates 37, 38 and 39 mask theopening from the hopper to the oppositely facing opening of the inlethousing. In this position the plates 37, 38 and. 39'may swing inwardlyindividually or as a unit about the axis of the hinge 36 and toward theshredder inlet to allow movement of materials into the inlet housing.Unless positively swung by forcible engagement with materials being fedinto the housing, the plates 37, 38 and 39 will rest upon the bottomwall l8'to thus mask and guard the inlet opening of the housing 28 fromthe user. In this position, the plates also impede blowback" of materialtoward the user.

The damper assembly may also be swung upwardly to an upper position asis illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this position plate 41 abuts againsthousing 28 and disposes both the plate 35 and plates 37, 38 and 39 'atan upwardly and forwardly disposed angle relative to the loading chute.ln this upper position, the plates extend partially across the inletopening to housing 28 to restrict blowback."

The loading hopper assembly and inlet housing are adapted for use inplural positions of adjustment. The loading hopper may be swung to anupwardly and rearwardly inclined position as illustrated in FIG. 1through loosening of the lock nut 33 followed by tightening of this nutin the selected position of adjustment. in this position debris to beshredded may simply be dumped into the load hopper.

The load hopper may also be utilized as illustrated in FIG. 3 whereinthe rear end of the load hopper rests upon the ground. Debris may thenbe swept or raked into the hopper or up the hopper and through the inlethousing to the inlet 14a of the shredder.

The hinge plate assembly is also formed so that the load hopper may beadjusted to an essentially upright position (not illustrated in thedrawings).

The invention also contemplates the use ofa bagging attachment for theshredder and load hopper facilities. To this end an annular ring 43 isadapted to be fixed in a position surrounding the outlet opening 14through means of a bracket 44 which is fixed to the ring. Bracket 44 isadapted to be fixed to the upper wall of the outlet opening throughmeans of a lock nut 45. A flexible O-ring 46 or the like may be used toclamp a bag illustrated in phantom at 47 in FIG. 5 to the ring.

I claim:

l. A shredding machine including a wheel supported shredding compartmenthaving shredding knives therein and power means for rotating saidknives, said shredding compartment having an inlet opening formed in anupper wall thereof and an outlet opening formed through a side wallthereof, flow directing means positioned over said inlet and having arearwardly facing inlet, a feed hopper pivotally mounted on saiddirecting means, said hopper being mounted for movement between aposition extending upwardly relative to said compartment and a positiondownwardly and laterally inclined from said compartment, said hopperbeing defined by a U-shaped trough, and means for selectively holdingsaid hopper in both positions.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said hopper is movable to an uprightposition over said compartment inlet opening and to a position extendingupwardly and laterally from said compartment inlet opening.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said flow directing means is definedby a rearwardly and downwardly open housing, said holding meansincluding plates carried by said hopper and embracing side walls of saidhousing, and means for clamping said plates against said side walls.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said hopper has manipulating handlesextending outwardly therefrom.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said hopper includes a damperpivotally mounted thereon and ex tending across the flow space throughsaid hopper.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said damper is pivotally mounted ona member pivotally mounted on said hopper to enable selectivepositioning of the pivot axis of said damper relative to said hopper andin positions fully masking and partially masking the flow space throughsaid hopper.

7.v he structure of claim 6 wherein said damper lS defined by aplurality of plates positioned side by side.

1. A shredding machine including a wheel supported shredding compartmenthaving shredding knives therein and power means for rotating saidknives, said shredding compartment having an inlet opening formed in anupper wall thereof and an outlet opening formed through a side wallthereof, flow directing means positioned over said inlet and having arearwardly facing inlet, a feed hopper pivotally mounted on saiddirecting means, said hopper being mounted for movement between aposition extending upwardly relative to said compartment and a positiondownwardly and laterally inclined from said compartment, said hopperbeing defined by a U-shaped trough, and means for selectively holdingsaid hopper in both positions.
 1. A shredding machine including a wheelsupported shredding compartment having shredding knives therein andpower means for rotating said knives, said shredding compartment havingan inlet opening formed in an upper wall thereof and an outlet openingformed through a side wall thereof, flow directing means positioned oversaid inlet and having a rearwardly facing inlet, a feed hopper pivotallymounted on said directing means, said hopper being mounted for movementbetween a position extending upwardly relative to said compartment and aposition downwardly and laterally inclined from said compartment, saidhopper being defined by a U-shaped trough, and means for selectivelyholding said hopper in both positions.
 2. The structure of claim 1wherein said hopper is movable to an upright position over saidcompartment inlet opening and to a position extending upwardly andlaterally from said compartment inlet opening.
 3. The structure of claim1 wherein said flow directing means is defined by a rearwardly anddownwardly open housing, said holding means including plates carried bysaid hopper and embracing side walls of said housing, and means forclamping said plates against said side walls.
 4. The structure of claim1 wherein said hopper has manipulating handles extending outwardlytherefrom.
 5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said hopper includes adamper pivotally mounted thereon and extending across the flow spacethrough said hopper.
 6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said damper ispivotally mounted on a member pivotally mounted on said hopper to enableselective positioning of the pivot axis of said damper relative to saidhopper and in positions fully masking and partially masking the flowspace through said hopper.